Avatar: The Last Earthbender
by Lily Fey
Summary: What if it wasn't the Fire Nation who attacked, but the Water Tribes? What if Aang wasn't the Avatar, but Toph? What if Zuko and Azula were 'good' and Katara and Sokka 'bad? What if everything had been different? AU.
1. The Girl in the Cave

**A/N: Hey everyone!**

 **I wasn't satisfied with my fanfiction anymore, so I decided to edit it and repost. I tried to make the storyline a little more realistic and I changed it into a third-person point of view. So for the ones who've already read my story the very beginning might be a little boring. I did add a lot though, and I'd advise you to still read it because you might miss things otherwise. I've improved a lot in my opinion, so I guess it can still be fun.**

 **By the way, I really wanted to write Zutara since that's my OTP, but I think Zoph just fits better for this story. I'm not sure though and still need to decide about other ships. I'm considering Kataang and Tyzula, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.**

 **Please bear with any grammar mistakes or leave a review to point them out; English isn't my first language.**

 **I hope you like my fanfic! :)**

 **Disclaimer: The Avatar universe belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.**

* * *

 _"Fire. Air. Water. Earth._

 _My Uncle always told me stories about the old days; a time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Fire Nation, Air Nomads, Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. But that all changed when the Water Tribes attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements, and it was his destiny to stop the ruthless Waterbenders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed, and the Water Tribes are nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my Uncle and the soldiers of our Nation journeyed to the Air Nomads to help fight against the Water Tribes, giving me and my family the honour to look after the Nation. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Earth Kingdom and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost faith in destiny. I believe that he will somehow return to bring balance to the world."_

 _~Zuko_

* * *

Chapter 1 – The Girl in the Cave

Toph sighs and sits down, wishing she had already mastered the art of Firebending. She stares at the small amount of wood that she gathered during the day and tries to think of a way to set it on fire. It is a chill evening and she is not sure how much longer her body can take the cold. But she cannot go back. That way her parents would never believe she is not as helpless as they think she is.

Something keeps bothering her though. Something telling her that her parents are right when they say that it is impossible for a blind girl like Toph to save the world from the Water Tribes. Thinking this makes her wonder if her parents miss her. If her absence would even make a difference for them, seeing that they have been hiding her existence from the whole Earth Kingdom. Her life mainly consisted of wandering around the mansion and taking Earthbending lessons that were way too easy for her, which is why she decided to become the Blind Bandit and participate in Earth Rumble. Those were the only moments she felt like her disability did not affect her.

* * *

Suddenly Toph feels some strange vibrations not far away. A large group of soldiers is marching to the Earth Kingdom. That can only mean one thing; the Water Tribes are launching their second attack, which is rather disastrous, since most citizens are still busy with reparations from the first time the Tribes tried to erase the Kingdom. Have they not done enough damage already? Everyone knows the Earthbenders stand no chance against the skilled Waterbenders.

Toph's first reaction is to leave the cave she was hiding in and go back to the Earth Kingdom to help fighting. After all she is the Avatar, and supposed to keep peace between the Four Nations. But she knows there is nothing she can do to protect her home. Her vision will be affected by the water, and even if she could see properly, there is no way she could fight the Water Tribes.

She wishes to go back, back to her mansion, back to her parents, though she realises that is impossible now. If the soldiers notice her, they will kill her on the spot without hesitation. A little voice in her head tells her to refrain from being such a coward. She could easily Earthbend her way home without being seen by anyone.

But the idea of what she will find when she returns to the Kingdom now makes her shake with fear and it stops her from going back. Two people are coming in her direction and noticing this snaps Toph back to reality.

* * *

"Zuzu, what are you doing?" A girl and a boy are approaching the cave.

"I want to see what's going on," the boy replies. Both have an average length and do not seem to be victims of the ongoing famine. However, something about them is unfamiliar. Their feet seem to be dancing on the ground; not steady enough for Eathbenders, too steady for Airbenders. For a moment Toph fears they are Waterbenders, but their calm and regular respiration does not fit into that image.

Toph freezes. She does not know whether she should start running or quietly wait for them to pass.

"You said we would only take a look from the coast," the girl says. "Let's go back."

"We've come so far! I just want to see what's going on." The boy tries to pull the girl with him.

"I'm tired," the girl complains. "I want to go home."

"We can take a short rest in that cave over there," the boy says, pointing at Toph's hiding spot.

"Fine, but can we go back afterwards, okay?"

The boy does not reply, but starts running to the cave, filled with excitement. Toph, who did not expect that action, is unable to hide and before she knows it she is face to face with the boy. He gasps.

"Zuzu, what's wrong?" The girl sprints the last few meters and stops next to the boy. "Who are you?"

* * *

Her mind is telling her to run, but her feet do not want to cooperate. Adrenaline is rushing through her blood as Toph finally manages to move. Her feet seem to have tripled their weight as she slowly moves deeper into the cave.

"Wait!" the boy yells while he starts chasing her. The girl also moves her feet, but does not leave her spot. She must be bending, and that is when the pieces of the puzzle fall into their place. The nearest river is at least a ten minute walk away, meaning she must have send flames after her. Toph screams as the fire hits her left foot and she falls down.

"Why would you do that?!" the boy says angrily.

"Zuzu, leave her alone!" the girl yells. "She could be dangerous. Can we please go back?"

He ignores her words and continues running. Toph's feels her heart beating and tries to crawl further. Her feet is badly hurt; she cannot stand on it, nor use it to see.

"Leave me alone!" she yells, while the distance between her and the boy is decreasing every second. She makes a desperate – but unfortunately unsuccessful – attempt to protect herself by throwing rocks at her chaser.

"I'm so sorry," the boy says as he catches up to her. "I didn't mean to hurt you – I mean, my sister didn't mean to hurt you. Let me help you." He offers his hand to her, which Toph does not accept.

"I'm going back to the ship," the girl says annoyed. "See you there."

"You can't just leave her here!"

"Sure I can."

* * *

"I'm sorry about your foot, but can you _please_ listen to me?"

Toph ignores the hand he holds out for her and gets up, ready to attack any moment the boy makes an unexpected movement that could be Firebending. Even though she is weakened now that she can only see with her right foot, she thinks she can still take him now that his sister is gone. However, she does not have the impression that he wants to fight her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zuko and I'm from the Fire Nation."

"Oh really? I wouldn't have guessed," Toph says, sarcastically. "That certainly explains why you were Firebending. It all makes sense now."

The boy named Zuko does not reply to her comment. "What are you doing here?" she continues.

"Nothing," he says. "I was just curious."

"About what? What methods the Water Tribes will use to destroy our Kingdom?"

"No, that's not it. You see, I'm the Fire Prince, which means I need to take over the duties from my father when I'm older. I wanted to know what kind of problems I would have to face as the Fire Lord."

"Yeah, I bet watching here from a distance will give you some brilliant insight on ruling as a Fire Lord."

"Why is it so hard to believe that I'm actually on your side?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know," she replies annoyed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe it's because your sister burned me."

"Okay, I get the point." The boy takes a step back. "Fine, I'll go back home. What's your plan? Just staying here in this cave, waiting for the Water Tribes to find and kill you? Do you really want to throw your life away like that?"

"What do you know about it?"

"What about your family? Why aren't you with them?"

Toph resists the urge punch him in his face. "Just go away."

"I will. At least I'll die in honour."

"Really?" the Avatar laughs. "How is going back home going to make you a more honourable person?"

"I'll train more and fight the Water Tribes. It's time this war comes to an end, and we all have a role in ending it. I believe my destiny is becoming a good Fire Lord so I can lead the army to victory. And you're important too. You're probably the last Earthbender left after this attack. The world needs you."

"What can I do? I don't have anything left. My parents are most likely dead. The Earth Kingdom is gone."

"You could come with me to the Fire Nation."

"Oh, I'm sure your sister would appreciate that."

"Don't mind her. I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, but I don't feel like risking getting burned again."

* * *

The conversation is interrupted by various shouts from deep inside the cave. A group of around twelve soldiers is running in Toph's direction. She can tell they are Waterbenders by their soft but uneven steps.

Her instincts tell her to run away without informing the boy named Zuko. He can only put her in danger and she does not need such a nosy person in her life. But if she really does manage to use the complicated path network of the cave to escape, it would get him killed, which does not feel right. And sadly it is necessary to add that she cannot walk properly with her burned foot.

"They're coming," she whispers. "We better start running, unless you wish to an eternity together in afterlife." She starts moving towards the exit, walking as fast as her injured foot allows her to. Fleeing towards the exit is the only option; Toph is certain the boy would not survive in the tunnels of a dark cave.

"There is a river nearby," Zuko informs her as they leave the cave. "Our ship is there. I know you don't like me, but you could escape with us."

Toph winces at the words 'our' and 'us', not looking forward to seeing his sister again. But she also realises there is no future for her if she stays here. She realises he is offering her, a random Earth Kingdom girl he met a few moments ago, a place to stay since her home is not safe anymore. So far he has not tried to hurt her in any way. Maybe she should get over her bias and give him a chance.

She nods in appreciation, unable to get any kind of apology over her lips.

Zuko's sister immediately lights her fists when she notices Toph and her brother approaching the river where their ship is stationed.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?"

She increases the size of her flames and even though Toph cannot see this, she feels the heat much closer than she is comfortable with.

"You better go before I might 'accidentally' burn your other foot as well."

She moves her right arm, intending to give the Avatar a warning shot, but Zuko stops her.

"Azula, don't. We need to go. There were Waterbenders in that cave and they could have followed us all the way here."

"Then what are you doing with this stupid girl?" she asks while she jumps on board of the ship. "Let's go home."

"She's coming with us," Zuko says. He gestures Toph that she should get on the ship too, but she pretends she does not notice it. She is starting to regret het choice and feels like getting killed by the Waterbenders would be a better fate than getting killed by this girl.

"Excuse me?" Azula says with a threatening undertone. "I am not sitting in the same ship as that filthy Earth Kingdom peasant."

"She'll get killed if we leave her here. She has no one left."

"Then maybe she should have stayed with her parents in the first place."

* * *

Toph ignores the painful comment and focuses on their surroundings. There is a large environment of rocks on their left and an open area on their right. She feels the Waterbenders marching in their direction, unaware of the presence of the three teenagers.

"I don't think we have much time left," she says. "There is a group of soldiers walking in between the rocks on our left. If I'm really the problem here, I will find another hiding spot. But please leave before they catch up to you."

"We can't leave you here," Zuko replies. "Azula, please try to be reasonable for once in your life."

His sister does not reply. The silence must have lasted for only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. Toph wants to turn around and leave, hoping to get a head start on the Waterbenders, but Zuko grabs her arm.

"Fine," Azula eventually agrees. "But Father isn't going to be happy about you bringing random girls with you to our Nation."

Zuko sighs in relief and pulls Toph with him on the ship, which to her relief is made out of metal. Though she cannot bend it, she can still pick up on the vibrations. Azula runs off to one of the crew members and orders them to immediately start sailing.

* * *

 **So for the people who've read my old version, what do you think of my 'rework'? Was it better? Did you like it? Personally I think this would've been a lot more fun to read, but I still find it hard to keep everything in character. Please leave a review to let me know your opinion on this chapter ^-^.**

 **I understand that not all of you will like my writing style or way of interpreting characters and that some of you might feel the need to leave a negative review. If you decide to do so, please give me some constructive criticism rather than purely bashing my story.**

 **xx Lily**


	2. The Avatar Returns

**A/N: Heya!**

 **I know, it has been** _ **ages**_ **(a little over a year to be more precise). I randomly remembered that I had once started with this story and decided to continue it. I have no idea when the next chapter will be finished, but I actually found myself inspired this weekend so who knows. Hopefully I can break this record and update within less than a year.**

 **Thanks for all the positive reviews, even though it's only two thousand words you've read :).**

 **Once again I would like to say that I cannot improve myself with a review stating 'I'm so sorry but it was just pure bad' without elaborating.**

* * *

 _Previously_

 _Toph was hiding in a cave when the Water Tribes arrived and attacked the Earth Kingdom. Two curious Fire Nation siblings ran into her, and even though the boy seemed to like her, the girl did not want to have anything to do with her. But when it got too dangerous they realised they did not have a choice but run and take the Avatar with them._

* * *

Chapter 2 - The Avatar Returns

"I told you she wouldn't like me coming along."

"I know." Zuko sighs while presumably staring at the sea in front of him. "But what was I supposed to do?"

"Leave me alone."

He shakes his head. "You would've died."

Toph shrugs. "Nobody would've cared."

"That's not true."

"Well, there wouldn't have been anyone left to care."

"Whatever," he replies, slightly annoyed. "Go get some sleep or something, it's late and it's gonna be a long trip."

"Fine." Toph turns around and returns to the deck of the ship while deep in thoughts. She feels guilty about what happened and is angry with herself. She hates how the last conversation with her parents was a fight, she hates how she just left them to die and she hates how she was forced to join two people she just happened to meet to a place she has never been before. She is also scared, because she has lost everything she knew. Her family, her home, her Kingdom, it is all gone now. Maybe it would have been better if the Waterbenders had found her before the siblings did.

She sits down on a wooden bench and feels the wind blowing in her face, wondering what the sea looks like, trying to distract herself from everything she has to face after this peaceful trip, like Zuko's angry sister and what she is supposed to do now, trying to forget about her being the Avatar and all the responsibilities it gives her. It is her duty to learn all elements, but how could a mere blind girl be a great bender and save the world from the Water Tribes?

Toph sighs and closes her eyes, hoping that maybe this is just a dream, even though she knows it is not. But she is not yet ready to accept everything and feels she is about to cry. She tries to calm herself by focussing on her breath and after a while she finally falls asleep.

* * *

As much as Toph would have loved a peaceful ride to the Fire Nation, it somehow does not surprise her that this is not the case. Zuko comes running to her, breathing nervously.

"There is a Water Tribe boat coming in our direction," he says. "You should take the stairs down and hide in one of the cabins."

Toph simply nods and jumps off the bench. It is impossible for the Waterbenders to have figured out she escaped. Besides, this ship belongs to no one less than the royal family. It must be a mere a coincidence and she has nothing to fear. She hopes. She leaves the deck through a large, metal door, which reveals a downwards stairway. The path is very long and narrow, and ends with doors on both sides, each of them guarding a cabin. Toph takes decides to take the fourth one on the left, one of the empty cabins.

The room is relatively small, especially compared to her old room in the Beifong Mansion. She estimates it is about four meters wide and six meters long. There is a bed in the left corner and a small desk against the right wall, decorated with a lonely vase. A round carpet is lying in the middle of the floor. Toph closes the door behind her and sits down on the bed. She notices the ship is losing speed and must have been stopped by the Water Tribe boat.

* * *

She can hear the murmuring of the crew and the ship reaches standstill.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?" Zuko asks loudly.

To her surprise only two people enter the deck. A boy, who tightly holds on to a boomerang, and a girl, who seems a little more relaxed. Toph assumes the first one is a non-bender while the latter one can most likely bend water.

"We're checking if no illegal items are smuggled," a boy replies.

"I hardly think that's necessary," Azula sharply remarks. "We are the children of Fire Lord Ozai."

"Then I suppose that means you have nothing to fear and no reason to object to this search," the boy answers while walking over the deck, looking around for anything which could strike him as suspicious. After deciding this part of the ship is clear, he gestures for backup. Four more armed soldiers – allegedly non-benders like the boy – follow him and the girl to the metal doors, leading to the cabins.

Toph holds her breath as the Water Tribe soldiers march down the stairway. She is completely defenceless on this metal ship with no bendables to be found. She realises she is still wearing her Earth Kingdom clothes, the only thing that gives away her identity as Earthbender, and curses herself for not changing them.

* * *

The marching continues and the six invaders have reached the first cabin. The boy is about to open the door, but Zuko stops him.

"These cabins are currently occupied by our crew members," he says. "And searching it without their permission would violate their privacy rights. If there is no direct reason of suspicion, I ask you to refrain from searching this area."

"That's not a problem," the boy says, mainly addressing the girl. "I can smell that something fishy is going on here. And I mean, there is no denying that I could be classified as an expert detective."

He slowly continues pacing through the corridor, hoping to find a reason to enter one of the cabins. Toph feels another adrenaline rush as he walks past the cabin she is hiding in. She does not move nor breath and the steps continue. After reaching the end he turns around, without saying anything.

"I told you this search was unnecessary," Azula says. "We have nothing to –"

"There is one cabin where I would like to have a look inside," the boy says rather arrogantly. "It may appear like this is just an ordinary corridor, but one cabin is… different."

"Just get to the point, mister detective," the girl replies annoyed.

The boy points at Toph's cabin. She tries her best not to gasp in horror.

"Just look at the handle," he explains. "All the other ones have dust stains on them, which is highly logical as it is currently nearly evening and the crew has no reason to be in their rooms. However, this one" – he points dramatically at the handle in question – "does not have the same stains! In fact, I can even recognise a hand print!"

"So what?" Azula asks impatiently. "So someone went to their room to fetch something. Big deal."

"Of course they would go to their room if they were smuggling items. Now if you would be so kind to allow me, I would like to examine the room. I don't see why it would be such a big deal if you have nothing to hide." There is another dramatic pause. "Unless you _do_ have something to hide."

* * *

Toph's mind is spinning as the both the boy and the soldiers approach the door. She slowly creeps to the corner and positions herself in a way that she will not be visible as soon as the door opens. She is weakened since she cannot bend. However, their only bender stayed behind with Zuko and Azula, and there is no water to use around here. They have a great fighting advantage. If she could lock all non-benders in this cabin with her, the Fire Nation siblings have a good chance at winning a two on one fight with the girl. She does not have much to fear from five non-benders, armed with mere spears and boomerangs.

The boy grabs the handle. He carefully pushes the door open and looks around the room, unable to spot any kind of danger. He waves his soldiers to follow him. He suddenly stops, most likely realising that a person could be hiding behind the door. Toph quietly prays that Zuko and Azula know what to do and kicks the door as soon as the last soldier entered the cabin. Immediately the dangerous sound of Firebending reaches her eardrums, followed by the screams of the girl. The boy hesitates, not sure whether he should attack the illegal Earth Kingdom citizen or run off to save the girl. To make his choice easier, Toph walks in front of the door, blocking the path. Rather than fighting back, she simply dodges their attacks, hoping to win the siblings enough time.

She then hears a sound she most definitely does not like. The boy has thrown her boomerang and Toph is left confused. She is unable to see it coming and simply dodges to the right. However, in doing so she loses her advantage over the other soldiers, who immediately attack her with spears. She gets hit on her left arm and screams when another hits her leg. A loud thwack is the last thing she hears before she feels a stinging pain in her head and faints.

* * *

"No!" she hears a familiar voice shouting. "Let her go!"

She has a severe headache and her leg hurts badly. She finds herself walking on an unfamiliar boat made out of wood and cannot see anything. Her hands are tied behind her back with cold shackles made of ice.

The screaming continues. "Please, don't take her!"

He sounds desperate and Toph feels a weird twist in her stomach.

"It is hopeless, Zuzu," a girl says. "Leave those idiots. They seem to have forgotten that our Father is the Fire Lord. And I can promise you that he will hear about this."

"No, we have to save her. Please, Azula, do something. We can shoot them down together."

"It's too risky. When we get home, we can send Fire Nation soldiers for her rescue."

"We can't allow them to get away with this!"

"It's too late, Zuko."

"No..."

The tears in his voice seem to trigger something inside Toph. Even though she cannot see, she feels like a spirit inside her is guiding her.

"It's not too late," she hears herself saying, though it sounds as if a hundred people are talking simultaneously.

"That girl must be the Avatar!" a soldier shouts.

The next moment Toph loses control of her body.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked the second chapter! Feel free to leave a review :)**

 **xx Lily**


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